How Is Your New Year’s Resolution To Do More Exercise Going?
If you have pretty much given up, then you are not alone. Your January enthusiasm for a new fit and healthy you, has given way to the old you. Don’t blame yourself, well, not entirely anyway.
The problem with resolutions or goals around fitness is that we tend to be too ambitious. We set the bar too high and then we get down on ourselves when we can’t meet our expectations. It becomes one extreme of the other – we either go to the gym 3 times a week as we promised or we don’t go at all. If we commit to go to the gym three times a week or we join an after-work running club or exercise class, it can be really hard to drum up the will to go when it’s dark, wet and cold outside. Maybe you use lack of time as a reason or you forget to bring your kit into work (no excuse if you work at home!). Perhaps, there’s something better and more attractive to do. We fitness trainers call this self-sabotage.
First of all, you have to aim lower. Set yourself a very achievable goal and choose to do a form of exercise you will enjoy. That doesn’t mean you can’t try something new because you may end up loving it. If you find going to the gym a real ordeal, then do something else. Maybe dancing is your thing. If you don’t enjoy doing something, you won’t stay motivated to keep doing it. And be realistic about how much time you have available to do this activity. If you’re going to a class or to a gym then bear in mind the travel and changing time. A goal that is both achievable and enjoyable means that you will be more likely to do it again and again. Consistency is key when it comes to forming a new exercise habit.
Secondly, find someone to exercise with or use a personal trainer. Accountability can really help and a good personal trainer will be with you all the way. I work with so many women who say they wouldn’t be doing the exercise, even though they enjoy it, if I wasn’t there telling them what to do, and supporting and encouraging them.
Thirdly, schedule exercise into your diary. Your health is as important as anything else so don’t leave exercise to chance.
Lastly, when I say aim lower you could go really small. If you struggle with the whole gym and organised exercise thing then why not try small bouts of exercise at home. A short walk in the morning, a ten minute HIIT session, a few exercises in the kitchen while you’re waiting for the kettle to boil. Integrating small amounts movement into your day can be just as beneficial as a session in the gym and if you tag these five or ten minute sessions onto something you do anyway, like boiling the kettle or visiting the bathroom, then it will quickly become easy to do. It will become a habit.
What can you do differently? Spend some time working out why you are sabotaging your health and fitness goals. The best solution for you will then become clearer. Our lives are fluid and change over time, so what works for you now may not work so well in a years’ time, so take time every few months to review how you are getting on. Remember that your health is worth the investment whether that is a financial investment or an investment of your time.
So, What’s Next For You? Your health is your wealth!
Drop me a message in the comments box together we’ll achieve so much more…
About The Author
Amanda Price is a women’s Health Coach and Personal Trainer. She helps women aged 45 plus achieve their healthy weight, gain mental and physical energy, manage their menopause symptoms and reduce their risk of developing a chronic lifestyle disease such as type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. She takes a whole- body view of health and is a diet agnostic. Via her bespoke coaching programs, she helps her clients make lifestyle habit changes. Amanda provides the support, accountability and encouragement as well as information to help her clients reach their health and fitness goals. Amanda helps her clients feel happier and healthier. She helps them age well.
Amanda works 1 to 1 online and in person as a health coach and personal trainer. She will put together a health coaching program geared towards your individual needs with the option of including personal training sessions.
You can contact Amanda to arrange a free discovery call which gives you the opportunity to find out how she might be able to help you.
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